Saint Andrew the Apostle Worshipped at Galat
Romanian Church
On 30 November 2011, the Archdiocese of Lower Danube is worshipping its protector, Saint Andrew the Apostle, the first called and protector of the Romanian nation. On this occasion, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Galati, assisted by a group of Greek and Romanian hierarchs, priests and deacons, in the presence of hundreds of faithful.
After reading the Gospel, His Eminence Nectarie, Metropolitan of Corfu, delivered a speech in which he eulogized the personality of Saint Andrew the Apostle, showing that he has looked for the truth, and “wanted to find an answer to his existential anxiety, which brought him closer to God”.
“The example of the Apostle teaches us, on one hand, that we must not make concessions to sin and disobey the will of God, and, on the other hand, that man must look for the truth no matter his level of culture or social rank. We also learn that we need models of integrity in life, of ascetic life, models of authenticity and spiritual purity, not only because we cannot fight alone for finding the answers to our existential problems, but also because God created us to live in communion”, also said His Eminence Nectarie.
His Eminence expressed his admiration for the Patriarch of Romania and for his pastoral missionary activity during the period when he was Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina, and now, as Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
“I have admired Your Beatitude’s pastoral mission, pleasant to God, ever since you were Metropolitan of Moldova. Now, we see with great joy that when you acceded to the Patriarchal Throne by God’s grace, you keep the right faith unchanged, as well as the kindness, love, and care for the people of Your Beatitude, so that faith may get its right place in the Romanian society. We also admire Your Beatitude’s great interest for the formation of the clergy who must answer the needs of the time and people, becoming light for everybody, because the priests and deacons should be the fathers and shepherds of all people. We wish you good health, patience, apostolic thought from the bottom of our heart, so that you “devote yourself to doing what is good” (Tit 3:14), both to material and to spiritual things for the glory of God and welfare of the people”, added His Eminence.
To end with the Divine Liturgy, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church offered the Metropolitan of Corfu an engolpion typical for the Romanian Patriarchate “as sign of appreciation and brotherly love in Christ, our Lord”, and a silver filigree icon lamp. The Patriarch of Romania also thanked for bringing the relics of Saint Spiridon to Galati.
“We thank His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronim of Greece and the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece for having given you the blessing to come here, to Romania, and bring the relics of Saint Spiridon of Trimituda”, said His Beatitude.
His Eminence Nectarie has also conveyed the greetings of His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronimos of Greece, and of the members of the Holy Synod of the Greek Church, expressing at the same time the joy occasioned by the concelebration on the feast of Saint Andrew.
“I assure Your Beatitude that as long as I live in this world I will always pray for Your Beatitude, for His Eminence Casian, for the Romanian people, for the priests and monks of this country and that this icon lamp that Your Beatitude offered me will be always burning at the relics of Saint Hierarch Spiridon. Thank you very much for having received and invited us”, also said His Eminence Nectarie.
The Archbishop of Lower Danube, His Eminence Casian offered His Eminence Nectarie an icon of Saint Hierarch Spiridon, on behalf of the servant priests, faithful and pilgrims present “to remain in Corfu as a proof of the piety of the Romanian people”.
This year, on the occasion of the anniversary of 20 years since the election of Saint Andrew as protector of Galati, the feast is crowned by the relics of Saint Hierarch Spiridon brought by the Greek delegation headed by His Eminece Nectarie of Kerkira (Corfu Island).
